Removing unnecessary packages from access point build

I'm getting ath79 build working for a Netgear WN604 device, which is produced as an LAN access point with no WAN port. Given the likely use is it reasonable to remove packages such as firewall and ppp from the default build, or is their an OpenWRT policy that they should remain in case someone wants to use them across VLANs?

You can safely remove ppp and related, but I would leave the firewall.

Thanks. Leave firewall in for user configuration reasons, or because some OpenWRT internals still make use of it somewhere?

I'd leave the kernel modules in so that opkg could use the standard architecture feeds to restore packages. Just remove the user space tools.